I've had a very strange week this week. It all started with a migraine on Sunday evening. The second one in a month for me. This is unusual, not because migraines are unusual for me, but because I normally only get 2-4 a year... not 2 in a month. I broke it down to: birth control.
I have been really bad about taking my birth control like I normally would this cycle. My normal routine is that the pill gets popped with my handful of vitamins every morning around 8am (with the exception of Saturdays and/or Sundays, on which I usually remember sometime around 10am). Well, my worst-migraine-I've-ever-had popped up last month after I forgot to take my pill one day until around 7pm... and then went ahead and took my next one at my normal of 8am. HORMONE OVERLOAD. Apparently. So when I started this next pack, my first day back on active pills I neglected to take it until around 11am. Deciding I would not like to go through another migraine, I made the decision to switch my normal time to 11am. Well this was a big fail because I have a life and work and 2 children and 11am and is just too far into a normal day to try to remember to anything at a specific time. So all cycle I've been taking it sometimes at 10am, sometimes noon, sometimes not until 2pm, sometimes actually at 11am... this apparently has made me a little crazy.
I've been highly sensitive for the last week, quick to anger, quick to cry, pissed off at my husband and/or children for no reason whatsoever, bouncing back and forth between feeling pumped and positive and happy to the next moment wanting to punch people in the face. I believe the recent full moon probably has something to do with this as well lol.
Here's the other thing: since my migraine on Sunday night, I've been getting mini-headaches every day this week. I can't think straight, I can't concentrate, I can't remember what I'm doing even when I'm in the middle of something. I realized last night I've been STARVING since Sunday. I ate very little Sunday until after my headache... I've been staying well-within my calorie limit, plus walking every day. Then there was the laser tag and dancing extravaganza Friday night that left me incredibly dehydrated. I don't think I had quite recovered. Even after my veggie burrito bowl lunch at Qdoba yesterday, an hour and a half later I found myself starving again. That is incredibly unusual for me. After a Qdoba lunch I normally don't need anything but a light snack for dinner because it keeps me full and satisfied until well into the evening.
So last night I went to this amazing pizza/beer place with a couple friends for drinks. Because Qdoba had obviously failed my all-of-a-sudden insatiable hunger, I ended up ordering a delicious wood-fired pizza brushed with olive oil (no tomato sauce) topped with whole milk mozzarella (YUM! HUGE difference from part-skim), mushrooms, artichoke hearts, chunks of fresh garlic and prosciutto. It was incredibly delicious and full of calories and fats and everything my body was screaming for. A nearly-3,000 calorie splurge day has never felt so amazing and so right. I didn't feel bad or guilty for one second. This morning I woke up and felt more "normal" than I've felt all week.
Listening to your body and not criticizing your cravings is sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself, in my opinion. I can't even describe how amazing it felt to eat and really enjoy my food with no guilt, no feelings of "I'll have to be extra 'good' tomorrow", not feeling the need to binge on what I ordered but simply eat until I was satisfied and to take the rest home for a second meal the next day, and probably most importantly: not feeling the need to binge on other junky foods just because I had "already messed up" for that day, week, whatever.
Okay, so now this: You know how I've been sort of avoiding exercise like the plague? And how I was supposedly putting together a training/food program for my husband and haven't said anything more about that (talk about feeling guilty...)?
Well, I haven't done anything as far as actually writing down a program for Mike to follow... which I feel terrible about.. and will eventually get to within the next few days because otherwise I fear he will just give up entirely on "being healthy" and think I'm not supportive of him... but as far as exercising: Mike and I have been taking near-daily walks for 20-40 minutes depending on how much time I have, and I feel pretty awesome about it! I know it's not intense exercise or activity by any means.. but it's something. And that is definitely more than what I was doing a month ago. I'll take it. Slowly, but surely, Folks. Slowly, but surely.
I haven't posted food in nearly a week, so if you are interested you can look it up yourself by following this link:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/PrettyGirlsOnFire
Feel free to send me a friend request if you are a fellow MyFitnessPal user!
8/24/12
The Downside of Being Smarter Than Everyone Else
I have a this terrible habit of, when I don't know something, going and learning about it. Sometimes, if it strikes my fancy, I become an information gobbling machine and can't stop hitting myself in the face with knowledge and more knowledge.
The reason this is a terrible habit is because: I don't understand why everyone doesn't do this.
It's getting to the point where I may be becoming a bit of a radical - especially in terms of food and fitness. I find myself constantly "correcting" people - "No, you really should be focusing on strength training if your goal is fat loss. Too much cardio can actually make your body retain fat more efficiently and therefore stall weight loss. Let me quote the 7 books I've read in the last 4 months on the subject." "No, you really shouldn't be focusing on low-fat. Your body needs fat. New research suggests that saturated fats may actually be good for you." "No, you shouldn't worry about the number on the scale. Muscle takes up less space than fat, therefore the more muscle you have the skinnier you are but the more you weigh. Take your measurements and focus on building strength."
These are just some examples of my everyday bossiness. It probably helps that I have lots of people around me who seem to like it when I tell them what to do.
I said in a recent post that I was going to be reading Dr. William Clower's "The French Don't Diet" book. It's been really great so far, I'm almost half-way through. The concept is very simple: Eat whole foods. Even if they are full fat, full carb, full sugar (in moderation on this last one - also notice I said "sugar", not "high-fructose corn syrup"). In fact, speaking on fat specifically: full fat foods are actually better for you because they possess more nutrients which in turn keep your body fueled and satisfied longer, which in the long-run means you are actually consuming less. It is so simple. Sounds like an amazing "experiment" to me. Once I finish the book I'm going to work on implementing this simple ideas into my current diet and lifestyle.
But here's the thing: I say that. But will I actually do it?
This is the downside of being smarter than everyone else... I'm a big, fat hypocrite. I'll dole out my free (and sometimes unsolicited lol!) advice to anyone who is dumb enough to broach the subject in my presence, but just know that I do not always live my life to the healthiest as I know (all too well, thanks to my addiction to education) I should. I still indulge in fast-food, faux food, and all the chemically and genetically modified foods offered at every turn in this the great U.S. of A... I try to limit my indulgences, but I certainly do not eat the amount of fresh foods that I should be.
One thing I can say for myself: I have not eaten McDonald's in more than 6 months.
...but that doesn't mean I haven't fed it to my eldest child... *hangs head in shame*
It's hard to know how much fake, chemical crap is in the foods I consume on a regular basis... and to know that these foods are stalling my weight loss and ruining my health in general... but to really not quite have reached the point of having the willpower to say, "No. I will NOT eat Taco Bell anymore. I WILL buy local produce at my local farmer's market, I WILL purchase grass-fed beef and free-range chicken, I WILL buy all organic dairy! AS GOD AS MY WITNESS!!!"
...okay, that got a little dramatic. I will get there. Just like I'm slowly getting there with being more active - daily walks, etc. I keep waiting for that magical "I'm fed up" moment. And I know it's coming. I can feel it. My youngest son will soon be 1, and will stop eating baby food that is organic and nicely prepared in easy jar-form... this will probably be my wake up call to say, "I will NOT let my baby know the delicious poison that is McDonald's french fries!! I will NOT feed my already giant child milk pumped full of chemicals and hormones!". I'm just going to leave it at saying: I was too young and dumb to do this with my oldest. This was when I thought I would never be overweight, so why should I learn about the food I eat? HA! Just because you are skinny, does not mean you are healthy.
Oh, it's a long hard road ahead, folks. I'm trying incredibly hard not to become a completely insane "food freedom" radical in the process of learning all these scary things about the food we eat. (ps - food freedom is something I came up with. I don't know if this is like an actual movement or anything, but I feel like it sounds good.) More importantly, I'm going to try not to be such a damn hypocrite anymore.
Speaking of hypocrites... my food for the last few days:
The reason this is a terrible habit is because: I don't understand why everyone doesn't do this.
It's getting to the point where I may be becoming a bit of a radical - especially in terms of food and fitness. I find myself constantly "correcting" people - "No, you really should be focusing on strength training if your goal is fat loss. Too much cardio can actually make your body retain fat more efficiently and therefore stall weight loss. Let me quote the 7 books I've read in the last 4 months on the subject." "No, you really shouldn't be focusing on low-fat. Your body needs fat. New research suggests that saturated fats may actually be good for you." "No, you shouldn't worry about the number on the scale. Muscle takes up less space than fat, therefore the more muscle you have the skinnier you are but the more you weigh. Take your measurements and focus on building strength."
These are just some examples of my everyday bossiness. It probably helps that I have lots of people around me who seem to like it when I tell them what to do.
I said in a recent post that I was going to be reading Dr. William Clower's "The French Don't Diet" book. It's been really great so far, I'm almost half-way through. The concept is very simple: Eat whole foods. Even if they are full fat, full carb, full sugar (in moderation on this last one - also notice I said "sugar", not "high-fructose corn syrup"). In fact, speaking on fat specifically: full fat foods are actually better for you because they possess more nutrients which in turn keep your body fueled and satisfied longer, which in the long-run means you are actually consuming less. It is so simple. Sounds like an amazing "experiment" to me. Once I finish the book I'm going to work on implementing this simple ideas into my current diet and lifestyle.
But here's the thing: I say that. But will I actually do it?
This is the downside of being smarter than everyone else... I'm a big, fat hypocrite. I'll dole out my free (and sometimes unsolicited lol!) advice to anyone who is dumb enough to broach the subject in my presence, but just know that I do not always live my life to the healthiest as I know (all too well, thanks to my addiction to education) I should. I still indulge in fast-food, faux food, and all the chemically and genetically modified foods offered at every turn in this the great U.S. of A... I try to limit my indulgences, but I certainly do not eat the amount of fresh foods that I should be.
One thing I can say for myself: I have not eaten McDonald's in more than 6 months.
...but that doesn't mean I haven't fed it to my eldest child... *hangs head in shame*
It's hard to know how much fake, chemical crap is in the foods I consume on a regular basis... and to know that these foods are stalling my weight loss and ruining my health in general... but to really not quite have reached the point of having the willpower to say, "No. I will NOT eat Taco Bell anymore. I WILL buy local produce at my local farmer's market, I WILL purchase grass-fed beef and free-range chicken, I WILL buy all organic dairy! AS GOD AS MY WITNESS!!!"
...okay, that got a little dramatic. I will get there. Just like I'm slowly getting there with being more active - daily walks, etc. I keep waiting for that magical "I'm fed up" moment. And I know it's coming. I can feel it. My youngest son will soon be 1, and will stop eating baby food that is organic and nicely prepared in easy jar-form... this will probably be my wake up call to say, "I will NOT let my baby know the delicious poison that is McDonald's french fries!! I will NOT feed my already giant child milk pumped full of chemicals and hormones!". I'm just going to leave it at saying: I was too young and dumb to do this with my oldest. This was when I thought I would never be overweight, so why should I learn about the food I eat? HA! Just because you are skinny, does not mean you are healthy.
Oh, it's a long hard road ahead, folks. I'm trying incredibly hard not to become a completely insane "food freedom" radical in the process of learning all these scary things about the food we eat. (ps - food freedom is something I came up with. I don't know if this is like an actual movement or anything, but I feel like it sounds good.) More importantly, I'm going to try not to be such a damn hypocrite anymore.
Speaking of hypocrites... my food for the last few days:
8/21/12
Adventures in various things
Today was an excellent day in my Adventures In Eating. It was also an excellent day in my Adventures of Being Active.
I had my normal-as-of-late breakfast of a Nature Valley protein deliciousness bar (peanutbutter and dark chocolate - who could ask for more?), and a fresh pear. I snacked on some almonds and a tangerine (which said it was seedless, but had more seeds in it than any regular old seedless tangerine I'd ever eaten!). I ate Taco Bell for lunch. It was delicious. I understand that Taco Bell is terrible, terrible for you. I also understand that it represents almost everything I hate about FDA controlled food sources, with its not-really-all-beef beef - which contains nearly 25 ingredients, a warning stating "Contains Wheat and Soy". Last I checked cow flesh did not contain wheat and/or soy... but anyhoo. The one I can say: the crunchy taco shells containing my 25 ingredient "beef" and lettuce and cheese and HOT Border Sauce DO NOT contain WOOD PULP or TRANS FATS. I wish I could say the same for Chipotle's crunchy taco shells. So I will allow myself my Taco Bell obsession. And also my Qdoba obsession... After lunch I proceeded to take a 30 minute walk in the GORGEOUS weather we had here in Virginia today, and for dinner I ate a serving of Jamaican jerk marinaded chicken breast with 1/4 cup of mashed sweet potatoes and a small square of 72% cacao dark chocolate with 1/2 cup of grapefruit for dessert. My net calories for the day currently are right around 1200. Plenty of room left for some beers (another thing to add to obsessions) and/or a light snack later.
I am getting ridiculously excited for my copy of The French Don't Diet Plan to arrive. I'm not even sure that living in regular suburban/urban America I can access the types of foods required to follow a French-style "diet"... but we do have a Wegman's down the way with a cheese department the size of most standard grocery store's entire dairy section... as well as a generous selection of free-range and grass-fed meats. We'll see how long I can stick with this.. assuming after educating myself it still sounds like a good idea.
Super awesome thing about today: my mom told me I was getting "really skinny". She is somewhat of a fibber since I'm still a good 25-30lbs away from being close to a healthy weight for my height/build. But it still felt nice to know that someone who sees me on an almost-daily basis is able to "see" my current weight loss.
Since about the end of last week I've been feeling super happy with my body and my eating choices. I don't know what that's about, but I'm going to attribute some of it to finding a couple of different inspiring websites/blogs (here's one in particular: http://www.healthyisthenewskinny.com/), plus creating my new "body positivity" pin board on Pinterest, which you can check out here.
It's kind of amazing what looking at pictures of half-nekkid ladies that are the same size or heavier than you can do. (I'll give you a hint: it makes you realize skinny ain't sexy.)
I'm really excited that there are all these body positive sites and campaigns going around right now. It's important for young women to be encouraged to accept their bodies regardless or their shape or size. I think I'll talk more on this later. Right now I have a phone date with one of my favorite people.. my cousin Maury! :)
I had my normal-as-of-late breakfast of a Nature Valley protein deliciousness bar (peanutbutter and dark chocolate - who could ask for more?), and a fresh pear. I snacked on some almonds and a tangerine (which said it was seedless, but had more seeds in it than any regular old seedless tangerine I'd ever eaten!). I ate Taco Bell for lunch. It was delicious. I understand that Taco Bell is terrible, terrible for you. I also understand that it represents almost everything I hate about FDA controlled food sources, with its not-really-all-beef beef - which contains nearly 25 ingredients, a warning stating "Contains Wheat and Soy". Last I checked cow flesh did not contain wheat and/or soy... but anyhoo. The one I can say: the crunchy taco shells containing my 25 ingredient "beef" and lettuce and cheese and HOT Border Sauce DO NOT contain WOOD PULP or TRANS FATS. I wish I could say the same for Chipotle's crunchy taco shells. So I will allow myself my Taco Bell obsession. And also my Qdoba obsession... After lunch I proceeded to take a 30 minute walk in the GORGEOUS weather we had here in Virginia today, and for dinner I ate a serving of Jamaican jerk marinaded chicken breast with 1/4 cup of mashed sweet potatoes and a small square of 72% cacao dark chocolate with 1/2 cup of grapefruit for dessert. My net calories for the day currently are right around 1200. Plenty of room left for some beers (another thing to add to obsessions) and/or a light snack later.
I am getting ridiculously excited for my copy of The French Don't Diet Plan to arrive. I'm not even sure that living in regular suburban/urban America I can access the types of foods required to follow a French-style "diet"... but we do have a Wegman's down the way with a cheese department the size of most standard grocery store's entire dairy section... as well as a generous selection of free-range and grass-fed meats. We'll see how long I can stick with this.. assuming after educating myself it still sounds like a good idea.
Super awesome thing about today: my mom told me I was getting "really skinny". She is somewhat of a fibber since I'm still a good 25-30lbs away from being close to a healthy weight for my height/build. But it still felt nice to know that someone who sees me on an almost-daily basis is able to "see" my current weight loss.
Since about the end of last week I've been feeling super happy with my body and my eating choices. I don't know what that's about, but I'm going to attribute some of it to finding a couple of different inspiring websites/blogs (here's one in particular: http://www.healthyisthenewskinny.com/), plus creating my new "body positivity" pin board on Pinterest, which you can check out here.
It's kind of amazing what looking at pictures of half-nekkid ladies that are the same size or heavier than you can do. (I'll give you a hint: it makes you realize skinny ain't sexy.)
I'm really excited that there are all these body positive sites and campaigns going around right now. It's important for young women to be encouraged to accept their bodies regardless or their shape or size. I think I'll talk more on this later. Right now I have a phone date with one of my favorite people.. my cousin Maury! :)
Overloading and over.. educated?
I have had so many amazing health-related conversations this week. From my husband deciding he's "sick of being fat" and asking me to help him with his diet/nutrition as well as put together some kind of a training routine, to discussing at length and into the wee hours of the night the corruption of the FDA and the food industry in general, the obesity "epidemic", how these things effect the idea, implementation and application of universal healthcare, and learning about the French Paradox... it's been awesome and chaos all at once.
Today I read the history of saccharin. No, for real. It was fascinating. Aspertame as well. Even MORE fascinating and terrifying.
I always felt like I knew this, but now more than I ever I'm realizing how important it is to consume REAL FOOD. Natural, grown-in-the-ground, raised-on-a-farm, non-genetically-modified, locally-grown/raised FOOD.
I learned that in 2010 a bill that was passed regarding the FDA and its control over... well... the human race... has essentially made the FDA a "super force", in which they now can control what you put into your body and you have absolutely no say. No say whatsoever. It also outlaws homegrown foods. Be careful not to post anything on Facebook about the vegetable garden you planted this year. (Learn more about the FDA bill here (this bill was actually passed and signed into order by the President under H.R. 2751). This is a good breakdown. I even read some of the actual bill. Ugh. THAT was fun!)
Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.
I was amazed that I didn't really hear about this while it was going on... but I guess it wasn't considered "real" news.
Sorry to get so crazy serious all of a sudden. It's just... very scary. The political climate right now is absolutely terrifying. This may sound completely radical and insane... but there is a part of me that questions my decision to bring another child into this world. Things are getting too deep now - but that's kind of where I am when I think about the U.S. lately. It makes me want to look into living in other countries. I hear Switzerland is nice, albeit cold.
Getting back to more of the light and fluffy!
I'm very excited that Mike has decided to jump on the get-healthy bandwagon, even if it is for purely aesthetic reasons! I am in the process of doing a little more reading/learning about male physiology and how to best utilize cardio vs weight training. I know all about the female side of this, as I am one and am completely obsessed with learning everything I can! (Even though I don't always apply that to myself as I should...)
I will post here about what I find and how it's working.
I ordered a book about the French paradox, and I'm really excited for it to get here so I can delve in and perhaps experiment with the French "diet" - lots of cheese, bread, and wine? Sounds like fun to me!!
I did amazingly well with my calories over the weekend. Yesterday, not so much... damn Dairy Queen... but nonetheless. I logged a nearly 3lb loss on Friday, I'll take it! I must be doing something right.
Here is my food for the weekend and beginning of this week for those that are interested:
Today I read the history of saccharin. No, for real. It was fascinating. Aspertame as well. Even MORE fascinating and terrifying.
I always felt like I knew this, but now more than I ever I'm realizing how important it is to consume REAL FOOD. Natural, grown-in-the-ground, raised-on-a-farm, non-genetically-modified, locally-grown/raised FOOD.
I learned that in 2010 a bill that was passed regarding the FDA and its control over... well... the human race... has essentially made the FDA a "super force", in which they now can control what you put into your body and you have absolutely no say. No say whatsoever. It also outlaws homegrown foods. Be careful not to post anything on Facebook about the vegetable garden you planted this year. (Learn more about the FDA bill here (this bill was actually passed and signed into order by the President under H.R. 2751). This is a good breakdown. I even read some of the actual bill. Ugh. THAT was fun!)
Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.
I was amazed that I didn't really hear about this while it was going on... but I guess it wasn't considered "real" news.
Sorry to get so crazy serious all of a sudden. It's just... very scary. The political climate right now is absolutely terrifying. This may sound completely radical and insane... but there is a part of me that questions my decision to bring another child into this world. Things are getting too deep now - but that's kind of where I am when I think about the U.S. lately. It makes me want to look into living in other countries. I hear Switzerland is nice, albeit cold.
Getting back to more of the light and fluffy!
I'm very excited that Mike has decided to jump on the get-healthy bandwagon, even if it is for purely aesthetic reasons! I am in the process of doing a little more reading/learning about male physiology and how to best utilize cardio vs weight training. I know all about the female side of this, as I am one and am completely obsessed with learning everything I can! (Even though I don't always apply that to myself as I should...)
I will post here about what I find and how it's working.
I ordered a book about the French paradox, and I'm really excited for it to get here so I can delve in and perhaps experiment with the French "diet" - lots of cheese, bread, and wine? Sounds like fun to me!!
I did amazingly well with my calories over the weekend. Yesterday, not so much... damn Dairy Queen... but nonetheless. I logged a nearly 3lb loss on Friday, I'll take it! I must be doing something right.
Here is my food for the weekend and beginning of this week for those that are interested:
8/17/12
Happy Surprises!
My 6 year old had a sleepover with Grandma last night, which meant that my morning was calm and easy-going... and I was actually able to remember to step on the scale before getting dressed and leaving for work. I also had time to take measurements.
Measurements as of 8/17/2012 (updates in BLUE):
Measurements as of 8/17/2012 (updates in BLUE):
Estimated Body Fat % (YMCA formula): 36% - 33%
Weight: 209 lbs - 195.8lbs
Waist: 37” / 41” at navel - 34” / 38” at navel
Chest: 43” - 41"
Hips: 48.5” - 45"
Thighs: 28” - 26"
Arms (flexed): 13” - 12"
Jean/Pant Size: 20 - 14/16 (depending on the day and brand)
Shirt Size: XL/XXL - L (firmly wearing a large in all the brands I shop now, woo!)
I'm VERY proud of these accomplishments! It's nice to realize there is actually progress being made.
I still haven't had the chance to sit down and draft out the other billion things I want to blog about. A couple of them I really need to research a little deeper before choosing a stance... stand by.
Enjoy some calorie-diary fun:
I'm VERY proud of these accomplishments! It's nice to realize there is actually progress being made.
I still haven't had the chance to sit down and draft out the other billion things I want to blog about. A couple of them I really need to research a little deeper before choosing a stance... stand by.
Enjoy some calorie-diary fun:
8/15/12
So many!
There are so many things going through my head right now that I want to blog about. I just a couple hours to sit down and sort it all out (ha!). Soon, my readers, soon!
For now... food from this week (not including the weekend - both Friday and Saturday consumed just under 3,000 calories), so far:
For now... food from this week (not including the weekend - both Friday and Saturday consumed just under 3,000 calories), so far:
8/10/12
Healthier than I think?
I was perusing through some of my favorite health and fitness blogs this morning when I came across a post about weight gain and then one followed by discussions of binge eating. Kind of the norm for most health and fitness bloggers, but for some reason it occurred to me as I read these stories of failure and success... that I am healthier, I think.
I do not have disordered eating. I have some days where I crave mostly fat and sweets, and I sometimes indulge these cravings. But I do not binge, nor do I deprive myself to the point of being unhealthy. I may have a slight junk food addiction, this is true. But if I don't put myself in a situation where I have access to that junk, then it doesn't bother me and I'm happy to eat whatever normal-type-foods I may have at home such as: fruits, veggies, whole wheat pasta, chicken breast, salad, etc. I just did major grocery shopping for the first time in about a month, and I'm incredibly excited to eat all those delicious fresh, whole foods!
I consider myself incredibly lucky. I have a positive attitude toward food. It's something I enjoy, but I don't "reward" myself with it, not do I "punish" myself with it. I'm a big fan of splurge days. I've finally reached a point in my "dieting" where I don't even feel guilty for those splurges.
So speaking of splurges and healthy relationships with food... I gained 1.6lbs over the last two weeks. I'm set to start my period this weekend, so this could very easily be water-retention and/or some bloating. I was pretty lenient with myself on calories week before last, but I've been much more active this week and last so I feel like that sort of balanced itself out.
Official weight @ 8/10/2012: 198.6lbs
I'm still under 200, though, and that definitely counts for something. I've now been maintaining for about 6 weeks. I think I definitely need to dig a little for that motivation to either a) commit to clean eating for a month or two, or b) get into some kind of regular activity/exercise routine. Still kind of fighting through this whole "I don't wanna" stage, though. Not gonna lie.
I have 10 weeks until Andrea's wedding. I wanted to be at my halfway goal of 185lbs by then. If I really want to push for that then I have 10 weeks to lose roughly 12lbs. That's 1.2lbs/week. I've been steadily losing about 0.5 to 0.75 pounds a week. Outlook not so great, lol! It's okay. I'm feeling so much more confident in this slow-but-steady approach. I've lost all my pregnancy weight and I'm just a couple weeks shy of the 9 month mark. It took me 2 years to gain the other 30lbs I'm currently still carrying around. It may very well take me 2 years to lose that.
One thing I need to really try to remember to do this weekend (or some other not-too-far-in-the-future time) is take my measurements! I can't even remember the last time I did that. It may have been March when I attempted to start the Body Breakthrough program. I am also going to run by body fat % calculation with new measurements and weight. We'll see! Kind of excited about it. I'm a weirdo.
I need to get better about posting my food. This, I think, will definitely help with keeping me accountable to keep the hell away from the fast food!! I've been eating out for lunch almost every day... and although I'm paying attention to what I'm ordering as far as caloric value... this is not helping my too-much-saturated-fat intake problem. Which, in turn, has become a big-fat-belly problem.
Here is yesterday's (I did really well, actually):
I do not have disordered eating. I have some days where I crave mostly fat and sweets, and I sometimes indulge these cravings. But I do not binge, nor do I deprive myself to the point of being unhealthy. I may have a slight junk food addiction, this is true. But if I don't put myself in a situation where I have access to that junk, then it doesn't bother me and I'm happy to eat whatever normal-type-foods I may have at home such as: fruits, veggies, whole wheat pasta, chicken breast, salad, etc. I just did major grocery shopping for the first time in about a month, and I'm incredibly excited to eat all those delicious fresh, whole foods!
I consider myself incredibly lucky. I have a positive attitude toward food. It's something I enjoy, but I don't "reward" myself with it, not do I "punish" myself with it. I'm a big fan of splurge days. I've finally reached a point in my "dieting" where I don't even feel guilty for those splurges.
So speaking of splurges and healthy relationships with food... I gained 1.6lbs over the last two weeks. I'm set to start my period this weekend, so this could very easily be water-retention and/or some bloating. I was pretty lenient with myself on calories week before last, but I've been much more active this week and last so I feel like that sort of balanced itself out.
Official weight @ 8/10/2012: 198.6lbs
I'm still under 200, though, and that definitely counts for something. I've now been maintaining for about 6 weeks. I think I definitely need to dig a little for that motivation to either a) commit to clean eating for a month or two, or b) get into some kind of regular activity/exercise routine. Still kind of fighting through this whole "I don't wanna" stage, though. Not gonna lie.
I have 10 weeks until Andrea's wedding. I wanted to be at my halfway goal of 185lbs by then. If I really want to push for that then I have 10 weeks to lose roughly 12lbs. That's 1.2lbs/week. I've been steadily losing about 0.5 to 0.75 pounds a week. Outlook not so great, lol! It's okay. I'm feeling so much more confident in this slow-but-steady approach. I've lost all my pregnancy weight and I'm just a couple weeks shy of the 9 month mark. It took me 2 years to gain the other 30lbs I'm currently still carrying around. It may very well take me 2 years to lose that.
One thing I need to really try to remember to do this weekend (or some other not-too-far-in-the-future time) is take my measurements! I can't even remember the last time I did that. It may have been March when I attempted to start the Body Breakthrough program. I am also going to run by body fat % calculation with new measurements and weight. We'll see! Kind of excited about it. I'm a weirdo.
I need to get better about posting my food. This, I think, will definitely help with keeping me accountable to keep the hell away from the fast food!! I've been eating out for lunch almost every day... and although I'm paying attention to what I'm ordering as far as caloric value... this is not helping my too-much-saturated-fat intake problem. Which, in turn, has become a big-fat-belly problem.
Here is yesterday's (I did really well, actually):
8/7/12
Well, hello August...
Soooo I think it's pretty obvious that I took a vacation from my blog this July. It was not an on-purpose vacation. For some reason blogging has been even lower on the priority totem pole as exercising. I also realized that I had even updated my weight tracking.. did that today and realize I've only lost 2lbs this whole month. *shrugs* oh, well. At least I'm still losing.
I'm kind of in this "I don't wanna" mindset lately. Exercise? I don't wanna. Go to bed at a decent time? I don't wanna. Avoid extra calories by not drinking beer nightly? I don't wanna.
Things I HAVE wanted to do: eat more fruits, veggies and nuts and other healthy fats, really focus on portion control, cook more. These are all awesome things! I'm still struggling with my Taco Bell/Qdoba (think Chipotle) addiction... but it's getting better. I've also made an effort to at least walk when I can - ie: when it isn't 106 degrees and 90% humidity. (Virginia weather has been awful this Summer!)
About a week ago I went on a cleaning frenzy. I guess I finally hit my breaking point with the mess in my house... upstairs especially. 3 hours of running up and down the stairs, vacuuming floors/furniture/walls, cleaning out drawers and closets, throwing away various "potions" (as my mother calls them - lotions, perfumes, etc.) that I haven't used or even LIKED in years, making room in my medicine cabinet for the few "potions" I do still use on a regular basis as well as my deodorant and contact lense stuff. It felt SO GOOD. And then I almost died... because I was going full-speed this whole time, non-stop movement... and I burned like 650 calories!! Definitely the most exercise I'd had in a while. Then this past weekend. Oh lord. 2,000 calories burned on Saturday. For real!!
It went a little something like this:
I'm kind of in this "I don't wanna" mindset lately. Exercise? I don't wanna. Go to bed at a decent time? I don't wanna. Avoid extra calories by not drinking beer nightly? I don't wanna.
Things I HAVE wanted to do: eat more fruits, veggies and nuts and other healthy fats, really focus on portion control, cook more. These are all awesome things! I'm still struggling with my Taco Bell/Qdoba (think Chipotle) addiction... but it's getting better. I've also made an effort to at least walk when I can - ie: when it isn't 106 degrees and 90% humidity. (Virginia weather has been awful this Summer!)
About a week ago I went on a cleaning frenzy. I guess I finally hit my breaking point with the mess in my house... upstairs especially. 3 hours of running up and down the stairs, vacuuming floors/furniture/walls, cleaning out drawers and closets, throwing away various "potions" (as my mother calls them - lotions, perfumes, etc.) that I haven't used or even LIKED in years, making room in my medicine cabinet for the few "potions" I do still use on a regular basis as well as my deodorant and contact lense stuff. It felt SO GOOD. And then I almost died... because I was going full-speed this whole time, non-stop movement... and I burned like 650 calories!! Definitely the most exercise I'd had in a while. Then this past weekend. Oh lord. 2,000 calories burned on Saturday. For real!!
It went a little something like this:
- Woke up and did awesome boot camp thanks to Andrea's friend Jenny - this was about an hour, plus we walked after a LOT.
- Went to the beach, spent literally 3 hours straight in the water frolicking, fighting waves, body surfing, general fun and constantly moving.
- Went to out to "da club" for Andrea's bachelorette celebration and danced my little butt off!!
It was awesome. I felt totally amazing after that boot camp... but definitely was ridiculously sore until probably about an hour ago (it's now Tuesday night, btw).
I felt like maybe all of that had inspired me to get back into working out, but today I'm kind of back into the "blahs" with the workout stuff. I've been more active in general as far as house-work, taking walks at lunch, playing with my kiddos, etc. I'm feeling like that's pretty good for now. I really want to continue focusing on my food and portion control stuff. I think I've reached a point mentally where I feel like losing the weight by controlling calories/food is easier right now than finding the motivation to exercise. I've been pretty successful so far! I'm down almost 20lbs since January, and though it's been a slow loss, it's consistent and I'm feeling good about it. I'm feeling like my plan, without consciously meaning for it to be, has become to "shrink" - ie: lose the scale-weight first - and THEN focus on toning. Maybe that's a crap idea, but I'm comfortable with it right now and it's been easy for me to stick with it. That's what's important.
Soooo... it's August already! When did THAT happen?! This year has flown by so fast. I can't believe it's just a few weeks and school starts again and the days will begin getting shorter. Just a couple short months and it will be downright COLD! ...I'm going to try not to think about that and get myself all depressed. lol
I'm going to try to be better about writing more often. I think it definitely helps me keep... sane. Ha! I feel like I had all of these things over the last month that I wanted to talk about, but I can't remember a single one right now. Oh, well. I'll just have to be better about posting when something pops in mind, right?!
Enjoy this... my new favorite song:
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